TERRITORY TREASURE TROVE

One of the many fascinating photographs  from  the wide ranging  and   extensive  collection of   the  late  Northern Territory  identity and avid researcher ,  Vern  O'Brien  , shown here on the   right , with  author  Frank  Clune  ,  at  the  memorial  for surveyor  and  explorer David Lindsay , Fellow of the Royal Geographical  Society , London , who died  in  Darwin  as  the result of heat stress in 1922. 

 

 The Genealogical Society of the Northern Territory (GSNT) is currently cataloguing the  collection  which  included  the  contents of a battery of   filing  cabinets   and many  books , some of  which  were  presentation  copies  from  authors   with   inscriptions  thanking  Vern  for  his invaluable  help  in  providing  vital  information, leads   and  illustrations. A longtime Territory public servant , a former Director of Lands , deeply involved in the GSNT, he was  91 years old when he  died  last year .

By Peter Simon
 

During  a  recent  visit to  Darwin  I was   given access    to   some  of  the  O'Brien  collection , still  being  processed ,  which  included  explorers  diaries  , early  photographs  of  Darwin  and  Thursday   Island  ,  ephemera ,  documents  and  reports relating to wrecks, the "ghost roads" of  West Australian  drovers  and information on  Chinese  and  Japanese involvement  with  the  Northern  Territory . 

One item which attracted my attention was  the diary of Brisbane town planner R.A.McInnis entitled  Darwin 1940-1944. He had been commissioned by the Minister for the Interior  to draw up  the  Darwin  post war  plan   for  the badly bombed city. Apart  from containing informative comments on Darwin , it  included wartime  observations  of Townsville , with a very  favourable impression of  the  Queen's  Hotel  made  during  a  stopover. 

The diary was   from the  estate of  the  late  American (Nebraska) , journalist,author  Barbara  James, who wrote about pioneering Territory women, contributed  to the Northern Territory Dictionary of  Biography ,  served on the advisory staff of  NT  Senator Bob Collins    and  tried  to  save the Hotel Darwin, which  survived  the bombing  of  Darwin ,  from  being  demolished .  
  
Part of the compactus system  in the GSNT  is  jam packed  with  Vern's  well researched  files  on  territory place  names . During   a mere  two hours perusal of  a small part of the collection,  one could not help  be deeply  impressed  by the  astonishing  amount of  accumulated   information     and   subjects  researched by Vern  over  the  years .
 

During the many years  I knew Vern ,  we often swapped anecdotes about  various  people  and  events in the  Northern Territory, ranging from  a certain newspaper editor  to  administrators , departmental heads, assorted  characters . 


On  one occasion , he laughingly  informed  me his wife ,Jacqueline,  would probably dong me with an umbrella  for  something  I  had   written about a colourful  relative of hers in   Darwin.  I  convinced her there was no malice aforethought in the article  and  the brolly was not  wielded upon  my scone, Vern gleefully  informing  me  it was  safe  for  me  to venture out into the street without  the  fear  of  assault.  

NORTH AUSTRALIA'S ONLY CRUSTY S(H)IPPING REPORTER HAS HIS FINGER ON A WHOPPER BUTTON

In the process , continues to blow  the  cover on Townsville's  secret  ghost fleet  : Love Boat  and  Korean  target  in  port...may  the Force be  with you  and a Happy New Year  earthlings .
 

Unnoticed by  the buttoned  up  Townsville media in  their  look and sound alike  ivory towers ,  just  two of  the interesting  vessels  standing  out in the port  on the same  day  were  the SM  Korea  Line  Corporation  (KLC)  bulk carrier   Emerald  and  the large  car carrier  Venus   Leader .

Could have been  a gem of a   story  if  a  reporter  ventured aboard the Emerald  as  KLC's head office  is in the target city of  Seoul , South Korea , and discussed with the  skipper his thoughts about all  the   nuclear  sabre  rattling  going on  between  the twin  Boofheads,  Donald and  Kim , another B1 and  B2 team .

 

KLC transports a wide  range of cargoes , including  nickel ore and  bitumenous coal . If Emerald carried nickel ore on this  trip to Townsville  it would make  national news  as  Clive Palmer's  Queensland  Nickel  plant  in Townsville sank  with  a  major  affect  on  the economy. There has even been a wild rumour  that Palmer  had been trying to  arrange two shipments of nickel ore  from New Caledonia  to kick  start  the refinery and  cash  in on  higher nickel prices.

Nearby  was  the unusually  named  Industrial Force,  a general  cargo ship , flying under the flag of Antigua and  Barbadu . An  Intermarine vessel , a "Can Do "  company , Australia's most prominent   heavy metal  and technical service provider , with clients that   include the  Australian  Navy and  an American  shipping line .   Could have  been  another  interesting   interview with the skipper and   further gen    from  company HQ.

Chugging  out of the port,  on the same   day , was  the Great Barrier Reef charter vessel , causing our see  all  Shipping Reporter to repeatedly press the camera button.

 

Furthermore, he was informed by a ferry deckhand  that  Kalinda  once had a Rolls Royce  engine ,  surely grounds  for  another  nautical type  yarn  as the skipper is  a  marine biologist  with  20 years' experience on  the  GBR .   

LEADER OF THE PACK

Vocal Cairns Pelican by Abra .

LIMP FALLERS' ISLAND GAMES

As part of the Commonwealth Games  on  Queensland's  Gold Coast this year, the Australasian Limp Fallers' Olympics will be  held on Magnetic Island . This  lucrative  coup  is due to  the tireless efforts of the Townsville City Council , Townsville Enterprise  and  other  dynamic  cowboys   who  organised  the  long  running  limp falling Welcome to Magnetic Island  banners  near  the ferry terminal . A remnant of the extensive  wall of banners  is  still   limp  after  months , our  latest photographs taken on Wednesday morning , January 3.

Exceedingly limp  Koala.

The  latest limp section of the banner  had  been hanging  attractively as the island was being  invaded  by  thousands of  New Year celebration  visitors, many of them  experienced  limp  fallers  from  around  the  globe.  Some were exceptionally  limp after   the  fireworks display  and  the jollity  surrounding  seeing  out  the old  year  and  noisily bringing in  the  new.   Indeed, some, stretched out on the beach ,  were so limp  when  the sun came up  that they could easily  have  won  gold at the  Australasian  Limp  Fallers' Olympics .

 

 

Veteran limp fallers all over the splashy globe  are invited to squeeze the Australasian Limp Fallers'  Olympics   on  crumpled up   Magnetic Island  into  their   already  undoubtedly  very   full  2018  calendar . Members of the sweaty Barmy Army  welcome  to  attend  if  they  bring  talcum powder.

PRAISE THE LORD-BUT DON'T PASS , STORE THE AMMUNITION

Text for today on  back of parking  area  sign  at  Uniting  Church, Darwin. A banner at another church calls for the refugees on Manus and Nauru   to be brought  to  Australia . 

DARWIN'S FORT KNOX

On a stinking hot day in Darwin , this writer , in town for a  few weeks from interstate , decided to  drop into the parliament house building  , known as the wedding cake, above, to make use of  the  excellent  library  and research a number of subjects . It was not to be . Upon entering the  front door where there is a security check , I was greeted  by  three men , two smiling, one not so happy looking  seemingly in command, doing  all the talking . Did I want to go to the library, he asked. Yes . No. It's shut on Mondays-go to the public library .

 

Okay, could I see  a journalist - named - who works for the government , if he  is on the premises? Who ? Apparently not  known , but no offer to ring through  and check if he is  upstairs in  the corridors of  power . The  talkative  chap said  you have  to  ring  in advance  and make an appointment  if you want to see  anybody in  the  building . Really?

 

This being the case, I thought it would be  useless  to  attempt to see the journalist on the last day  in  town to  alert  him  to the fact that I had picked up  an amazing story about  a  government   department  continually   fobbing off  payment  to  a   considerable number of  Territorians , highly ranking public servants   telling  increasingly  angry  inquirers not to  take any notice of  what  the Chief Minister said in a media  statement  which  stated  the   dough  was available  and  ready  for   instant  payment. What  gives ?
 

From a  source  deep inside the impregnable  cake tin , I was informed that parliament house has a new  security  set up . If so , the manner in which members of the public  are  treated  attempting to enter the building , especially  those  without  an appointment who might be able to  impart  invaluable  information  for  the  government, needs  an improvement , making the joint even  seem   welcoming .

CAPE YORK ARTIST WITH THE PASSION AND ENTHUSIASM OF ELLIS ROWAN

By art correspondent  Ponsonby  Willis

An exhibition of  the noted  painter of  flowers  and botanical illustrator , the late  Vera Scarth-Johnson, is showing at the Cairns Regional Art Gallery until February 18. It  includes  her  rarely seen floral arrangement  paintings, private sketchbooks, early drawings , personal photographs  and  correspondence  with leading botanists  and  herbariums , including   Kew  Gardens , London .  Her work brings back memories of  artist  Ellis Rowan (1848-1922), painter of wildflowers, birds and butterflies  in their native habitat , from  trips in North  Australia, New Guinea  and the Torres Strait , who contributed to the grand  l886 Picturesque Atlas of Australasia , a  framed print from which , recued from  Cyclone Tracy, hangs  near  my  bed .    

Born  1912 at Morley, near Leeds, Yorkshire , Vera , above ,spent some time in Paris, studied art at the Leeds College of Art and St. Albans College of Art . Keen to go on the land, she  worked as a model to  raise  funds for  her own  farm . Her rich grandfather gave her 2000 pounds   to start a piggery and  a market garden .
 

Life took a dramatic turn when she moved to Australia in 1947 , grew tobacco and  vegetables near  Bundaberg , Queensland, and  then sugarcane, said to be the second woman  to have a sugar assignment.


Continuing her interest in botany, she drew and sketched  Australian  wildflowers, often rescuing them  from  areas  about to be  levelled  by bulldozers  and tractors.  In l972, aged  60, she moved to  Cooktown  and  spent decades capturing  the beauty of  the  flora  of  the  Endeavour River region , adjoining country ,  and  Pacific islands .

With two friends  of the  Guugu-Yimithirr tribe, she made  trips into the upper reaches of the Endeavour  river , locating new species, recording  Aboriginal names and uses  for the plants.

She donated 140 of her botanical  illustrations to the people of Cooktown  which resulted in the launch of the Vera Scarth-Johnson Foundation on World Environment Day 1989 with the aim of starting  a  gallery  and interpretative centre to encompass the  wonders of  the wet tropics  and the Great Barrier Reef.  Suffering from Parkinson's disease, she died in 1999.   

One report  said Vera , who received the Order of Australia  for her work ,  was known for her lively wit , her sense of humour and her uncompromising honesty. Vera would  call a spade a spade and was well known for her enjoyment of a "glass of red and a  good argument." Photographs by Abra .